Pretzel factory 'failed hygiene tests'

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Bavarian health authorities shut down last week an industrial bakery producing pretzels for the Oktoberfest after they found it did not comply with hygiene standards. Everything produced in the past five days has been recalled.

The factory in Altdorf bei Landshut, near Erlangen, produces the baked treats for Müller, a large bread company that supplies Oktoberfest and which came under fire for severe hygiene problems earlier this year.

Inspectors shut the factory down on Friday, the Passauer Neue Presse newspaper said on Wednesday. All products made on site in the past five days were recalled and every single item of food produced at the time was thrown out.

Production recommenced the next day, after the factory, owned by Heinz KG, “immediately undertook all possible measures” to make sure that any problems had been ironed out, chief baker Reinhard Heinz told the paper.

Authorities would not specify what the hygiene failings were but it was confirmed that the factory had been supplying the Oktoberfest. They also uncovered general organisational problems and would likely be hitting Heinz KG with legal action.

The products that it had produced would not have endangered consumer safety, claimed Heinz.

Guests at Oktoberfest normally consume around half a million pretzels during the festival. Of course, not all of them are baked at the same factory.